Burial-casket.



PATBNTED PEB. 27, 1906.

J. BLAKE.

BURIAL GASKET.

APPLIGATIQN FILED Nov. '1. 190s.

J ACOB BLAKE, OF BEDFORD, IDWA.

BURIAL-GASKET.

Specieaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed November 7,1905. Serial No. 286.23 8.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB BLAKE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bedford, in the county of Taylor and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Bier and Burial- Casket, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in burial apparatus, and contemplates particularly improvements in that class of burial apparatus embodying an inolosing casing of a portable design and a body-receptacle adapted to be laced therein and deposited therewith in t e grave.

The object of the invention, generally-stated, is to provide burial means wherein the body may be laid before and during the burial ceremonies in a light coiiin Which may be readil transported and which is adapted to be inc osed in a box or casing which may be contained in the hearse during such ceremony and in which the body when transported to the hearse is nclosed and hermetically sealed for burial, such construction of the burial means obviating the necessity of usin caskets of cumbersome construction and which are diflicult to handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exterior coffin box or casing of simple construction which may be inexpensively7 manufactured and is adapted to be readily and conveniently hermetically sealed to prevent the access of air and moisture.

Still another object is to provide a cofiin which Will hold the bod f securely against displacement, which may e fastened in position Within the casing, and Which embodies certain improved features of construction hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the exterior oofiin box or casing. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, showing in side elevation the coflin disposed therein. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the exterior coffin box or casing, and 2 the coffin proper or body-receptacle. The casing is made in practice of metal or an other suitable air and Water tight materialyand is cornposed of a bottom 3, sides 4, a top wall 5, and an end wall 6, forming a body permanently sealed or closed at one end and free from joints through which air and moisture may gain access to the interior thereof. At its closed end the casing has a flange or extension 7 extendinF across the base and upon the sides thereof and strengthening the casing-body at that point, the base portion Vof said flange servingr as a sup orting-leg Sto hold the casing at a suitable e ovation. The interior of the easing is strengthened by braces 9, extending across the top and bottom and up along the sides thereof, each brace being in the forni of a ring conforming to the cross-sectional contour of the casing and secured thereto in any suitable manner. These braces reinforce the top and side Walls to prevent their displacement under the Weight of the earth resting thereon when the casing is deposited in the grave.

The coffin or body-receptacle 2 is adapted to be inserted into the casing through the other or open end, which open end is closed and hermetically sealed after the insertion of the occupied bier by a head 10. This head 10 is provided with an inwardly-extending Harige 11, While the end of the casing is formed with a surrounding liange 12 and a hood-flange 14, and between these flanges a gasket-or paoln'n -ring 14, of rubber or other suitable materia is applied and clamped to form an absolutely air and Water tight joint. Bolts or other suitable fastenings 15 extend secure the head or closure in applied position. The lower portion of the flange 12 extends below the bottom Wall 3 and erforms the function, in connection with the oWer portion of the head, of a supporting-leg cooperating with the leg 8 to hold the casing elevated. Y

Bracing-straps 16, extending beneath the bottom and part way up along the sides of the casing, are formed thereon or suitably secured thereto and serve as supports for handle-rods 17.

The hood-flange 13 forms an extension of the top Wall 5 and extends beyond the upper cross portion of the Hangs 12 and over the upper edges of the gasket and head 10, and thus shields the top part of the joint to prevent any possible trickling of Water by gravity between the members of the joint.

The coffin 2 may be formed of any suitable material and is provided on its sides with handles 18 and upon its under side with rollers 19, whereby it may be readily introduced l into the casing. It is also provided in its through the gasket and iianges and firmly IOO top with a glass panel 20, carried by a suitable form of lid 21, which may be fastened in position in any preferred manner after the insertion. of the `iody. The panel 21 may consist of a single piece of glass or other transparent material or of a series of glass sec# tions, as preferred, and I have not deemed it necessary to show any unimportant details of variation of this character, as they constitute no part of my invention. The head end of the coin is provided with a suitable handle 22 to facilitate its insertion and removal, and above the center of the )anel 20 is arranged a rod 23, suitably fixe to the ends of the coflin and serving as a sup ort for an or namental curtain or piece o drapery 24, which has a central loop embracing the rod in such manner that the curtain may be drawn over the top of the coffin to entirely cover the panel or adjusted thereon to fully or partly expose the same and the body therethrough.

On the under side of the coffin are arranged apertured eyes or brackets 25, adapted to engage a fastening-rod 26, secured at one end to the front Wall of the casing, as indicated at 26', and adapted to be engaged at its op osite end by a hin ed or pivoted clamp or astener 27, adapte to be fixed to the bottom Wall 3 of the casing by a suitable clampingscreW 2S. This fastener is thrown out of engagement with the rod when the coffin is to e inserted into the casing, so that when the coflin is slid into the casing the rod will pass through the eyes 25, thus fastening the coflin firmly in position, after which the fastener 27 is turned down and secured to hold the rod from independent movement and. prevent shifting of the coflin thereon. Thus the coflin Will be held from shifting in the casing While the same is being transported and lowered into the grave.

It will be understood that the coffin 2 is used as a receptacle for the body up to the time when it is to be transported bya hearse and that the casing fits into the hearse and neednot be carried 1nto the residence or other place where the body is kept before the funeral. After the funeral ceremonies at the residence have been performed the coffin is carried out by the pallbearers in the usual Wa and inserted into the casing in the hearse an the Casin then sealed. If the funeral is held at the c urch, the casing, with the inclosed coffin, may be carried into the church upon a funeral-car and the coflin removed therefrom during the ceremonies. By the construction described the access of air and moisture to the body inclosure Will be prevented for an indefinite period, and the necessity of handling a heavy Collin or casket of the ordinary type in transporting the body from a residence to a hearse will be avoided, thus ireventing to a large extent overturning oV the casket and other accidents of like character which ha pen during the transportation of heavy an unwieldy collins.

I'Iavin thus described the invention, what is claime as new is 1, In a burial device, a receptacle having a transparent panel, a rod disposed longitudinally thereof above said panel, and a curtain longitudinally adjustable on said rod to expose or cover the panel.

2. In a burial apparatus, an exterior coffin box or casing comprising a body provided at one end with a strengthening-flange depending to form a supporting-leg and having its opposite end o en and formed with a surrounding flange an a hood projecting beyond the upper ortion of the flange, said flange having a epending portion constituting a complementary leg, a head for closing the said open end of the casing provided with an inwardly-extending flange, a gasket inter osed between the body and head flanges an said body-flange and marginal portion of the head outside the flange thereon, and bolts passing through the body-fl ange, gasket and marginal portion of the head and tightl r joining said parts, the hood lap ing over tfie upper portion of the joint, substantially as described.

3. In a burial apparatus, a casing, a coflin adapted to be inserted longitudinally therein, a rod permanently fastened at one end Within the casing andhaving its opposite end free, perforated members on the coflin adapted to engage and slide along the rod upon the insertion of the coffin, to connect the Collin and casing together, and means for fixing the free end of the rod to the easing.

4. In a burial apparatus, a casing, a coffin adapted to be inserted longitudinally therein, interengaging devices upon the casing and coffin brought into engagement when the latter is inserted to hold the same stationary Within the casing, and means for maintaining the parts in connected relation.

5. In a burial apparatus, a casing having an opening at one end thereof, a rod fixed at one end within the casing, a coflin adapted to be inserted longitudinally into the casin and rovided With members to engage an inter ock with said rod as the casket is in serted, a fastening device upon the casing to engage and hold the free end of the rod from movement, and a closure for the casket-openlng.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB BLAKE.

Witnesses'.

J. P. FLicx, L. W. BROCK. 

